My mind was foggy when I woke up. I squinted as I looked around the dark room. There were no windows, and the only light came from the outline of a door. I was alone, in someone else’s bed.

  That’s when everything came rushing back; fighting the manticores, finding Auria, teleporting to the Cathedral, Anders wasn’t in his office…

  I bolted upright, clawing at the fabric around my stomach until my fingers found solid flesh. Confused, I felt around blindly until I found a lamp on the side table. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and lifted the old grey t-shirt. In the back of my mind, I wondered where my nightgown went, and where these tattered sweatpants came from.

  Sure enough, there was no trace of the manticore wound, not even a scar. I distinctly remembered being stung by one of the beasts as I searched for my daughter in the Manor. As far as I knew, the Order didn’t have access to anything that would heal a Non-Human without leaving at least a scar. This had to be magic.

  How odd. Anders didn’t tell me they had a magic user beside Chase.

  When I studied the room in the light, I noticed the half open closet with several suits hanging in plastic covers. I must be in his room at the Order, I thought. I had only ever spent the night at his condo, away from prying eyes. I found a mirror, brushed my hair with my fingers, lamenting my braid, and stepped out into the hallway. I tried to ignore the cold of the floor; I needed to find them.

  I followed the pull of Auria’s life-force to the common room, where the gloom of the Cathedral could almost be forgotten. I heard her laughter before I reached the open door, which brought a smile to my face.

  “Faster, horsey!” Auria demanded. I leaned against the doorframe and watched as she kicked her little feet into Ethan’s stomach, as though he were a real horse. The young man laughed and neighed, racing across the room on his hands and knees. Behind him, in a similar position, was Orion with his younger sister on his back. She laughed as he struggled, as she is clearly much older than Auria. Dyson had a movie playing on the projector across the room, while Kalysta and Amelia played billiards and laughed at the boys.

  Hector, Orion and Astra’s father, sat on a chair facing the 'race' but his attention was firmly focused on the device in his hands. I imagined he was left to 'babysit', while Andrea went off to do something else. Some things never change. It’s comforting, in a weird way, how humans can become stuck in routines. Hector's age showed, however. Greying hairs in his dreadlocks and ingrained frown lines. I wondered if he smiled anymore, like he did in his youth. I must appear so alien to him, to all of them, as I am unchanged from that time.

  I sensed Anders approach before I felt his arms slip around my waist. My cheeks flushed, and my stomach fluttered. I felt like one of the teenagers. He buried his face in my messy hair and took a deep breath. I laid my arms over his, and closed my eyes. It was unusual for him to be publicly affectionate, so I cherished the moment.

  “I thought I’d lost you. I don’t know what I’d do without you. Don’t scare me like that.” His voice was rough, and he squeezed tighter. “I...I love you so much…”

  My mind instantly jumped to the past, when I first met him. He had been still head-over-heels for Serena, who had recently left him for Chase. Part of me wondered if he still was. Did human's ever truly get over things like that? I shook my head, as though that would dispel the negative thoughts. Regardless of that, in this moment, this man belonged to me and I held him tight.

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  I shuffled against his grip until we were chest to chest. I cupped my palm around his cheek, stroking gently with my thumb. His beautiful grey eyes were bloodshot, with deep, dark rings around them. When was the last time he had a decent night sleep? He rested his forehead against mine with a heavy sigh.

  “I would trade the sun, the moon, and all the stars if we could be together for all of eternity, my love.” I whispered, surprising even myself with the confession. I suppose near death experiences can even have that effect on...us. Anders lifted his head, eyes nearly bulging out of his skull.

  “I… Really? I figured you were happy with the way things are. You know, without me around all the time. I don’t think anyone could stand me eternally.” He said softly, chuckling. I frowned at him. He blushed and took a deep breath to calm himself. “I feel the same way. I’d give anything to spend forever with you. I think about you and Auria all the time. How much you two mean to me. I can’t imagine what my life would be without you.” He concluded.

  I couldn’t hide the grin on my face. I hopped up on my toes, hands clutching the collar of his shirt, so I could catch his lips. He flinched, then leaned down until I could stand properly again. He chuckled and ran a hand through my hair.

  “Yay! Mommy and Daddy are kissing!” Auria squealed. We froze, like deer in headlights. I had forgotten about the room full of people. “Mommy, are you all better now?” She asked.

  “That’s how people get Avian flu, y’know.” Dyson mused, leaning over the back of the couch. Amelia and Kalysta both threw billiard balls at him with enough force to knock him to the floor with a thud.

  Anders pulled away, hands folded innocently behind his back. I knew it had been too beautiful to last. Like humans, all things die in the end. I knelt to Auria’s level with a big smile. “Hi sweetheart. I’m all better! How are you?”

  “I’m okay. Are we going home now?” Auria shrugged meekly. My smile faded.

  “No, honey. Mommy has to go make sure it’s safe. You’ll stay here, with Daddy and your new friends for a little while, okay? I told her. Auria pouted, but nodded with understanding beyond her years. I tucked a lock of auburn hair behind her ear and kissed her forehead.

  “I love you, mommy. Make sure you kill all the bad things!” She said, hugging me as tight as her little arms could squeeze. I could almost hear the sound of my heart breaking. Ever since her birth, I hoped and prayed I would never hear such words from her mouth.

  “I will.” I promised as I stood, “You behave yourself, alright?”

  “Yes, Mommy!” She jogged back over to the boys to resume their games.

  I stepped out into the hall and closed the door. In the corner of my eye, I see Anders' grim expression. I didn’t look at him as I turned to walk away.

  “Sera.” He snapped. I stopped. “You nearly died just a few hours ago!”

  I peeked over my shoulder, trying not to have to look him dead in the eye.

  “I cannot – will not hide from a battle. They attacked my home. They threaten the children under my charge. I am a warrior, Anders. I must go back.” I told him, coldly.

  “I’m coming with you.” He appeared in front of me. “Warrior or not, you just woke up. You can’t do this alone.” His steely eyes bore into my resolve.

  “I don’t know what may be there. It could be nothing… It could be worse than anything you and I have ever seen. The world, both worlds, as we knew them are changing. Things are shifting Anders." I told him.

  “I know.” He placed his hands on both my arms and leaned down to be eye to eye, “But I told you already, I can’t lose you. However, I also know I can’t stop you. So, I’m going with you.”

  I heaved a sigh. He was probably right, as much as I hated it.

  “Very well,” I held out my right hand as my sword and armor materialized. My wings grew from my back and folded carefully in the confined hallway. “Are you ready?”

  I shielded my eyes from the flash of brilliant light. In a moment, the puffy-eyed man in a suit was replaced by the glory of his full Pendragon armor. I’ve only ever seen him wear it a handful of times, and it leaves me speechless every time. Such an important relic to humanity.

  “Have I ever told you how gorgeous you are?” He said, his voice echoing a bit within the helmet.

  I smirked, rolled my eyes, and summoned my harp to teleport us back to the Manor.

  I watched as Anders looked back at the recreational space, his all too human emotions visible in his eyes.

  “Alright, get us out of here.” He said finally.